seekevolution | The Storm

Matt stalked the halls and there were so many voices surrounding him. Frantic, urgent, hard - mental and verbal. The people in protective gear all had their orders and he made a mental list of them as they came to him. Regulate the people coming and going on this floor and the third. Make sure progress is made and report any findings or shortcomings. If necessary, use force to ensure order.

And outside of the hospital it was more of the same. Make sure nobody exits or leaves. Stay behind the scenes, for now. Matt found this out after grabbing someone by the collar and snapping at them to spill, but whoever that person was didn't know who was running the operation beyond the CDC.

And the military.

It wasn't good enough, he was thinking as he rounded another corner and made his way down a flight of stairs. Not good enough. Whoever were pulling the strings had to be part of the Company or something else, because there was no other reason for the blackout. People who knew what the virus was. What it did.

But as he'd expected a scan of the lower floors didn't give anything but more despair and pleas for help. He didn't try to soothe them, like he had in Odessa. Didn't have the time.

He was tempted to leave and grab someone guarding the bridges, because he knew they were there now, there and anywhere else you might attempt to leave. Positioned there quietly. Ready for the morning. But he wasn't reckless enough and returned to Mohinder's lab before long.

"Military's here", he said immediately when he entered, shutting the door behind him and shooting a dirty look out the glass windows that let the CDC people look right in. To make sure Mohinder was doing his work, no doubt. "Or they will be."

They had orders for the hospital too, of course. Not many, but they'd be there to prevent people scrambling for their loved ones. Protests, riots, you name it. This place was a hot spot.

Mohinder had been doing just about nothing for the last hour. Going through results that turned up no new information, just sentencing someone else to a certain death was weighing down on him so much that the puffiness around his eyes and the redness around his dark irises were absolutely understandable. He once more removed his glasses, just to put the world back into a sort of comforting fuzziness.

"There are outbreaks in Boulder, Santa Monica California, Boston and Detroit Michigan," Mohinder told Matt. "They're quarentined the cities and the outlying suburbs. At six o'clock this morning, they're going to black out the city. Turn off the whole grid. Only people with generators are going to have any power at all..."

Mohinder's fear was palpable.

"I don't know what to do about it except pray I find the impossible."

Matt stared. "The others too?" he asked numbly and at the confirmation, he ran a hand through his hair, the same tiredness that was weighing Mohinder down was felt all too clearly on his sholders as well. But the fear that joined it was turned into anger, because anger was more proactive than fear, and after a moment he clenched his jaw in a show of that.

He checked his watch. Just after one. They had five hours.

"Okay. Right, that means we can expect the chaos to start the moment people realize. They'll try to get out of here- and uh, get gunned down if they overstep. They're authorized to shoot to kill, these guys", he said in a low tone, indicating the people in gear outside. "Fucking idiots. This is going to snowball faster than ..." Not finding a good simile, he shook his head. "More than half the people out there are thinking about Odessa."

It'd be total chaos. Total. He took another step towards Mohinder.

"Hospital will still have power, right? I don't care if you find the cure or not, work's a good excuse to stay here. I don't want either of you outside after this starts."

"There's solar power and generators. We should... I don't know exactly for how long, mind you, but we should be all right if the military can hold this." And if not... They might be all right if they move to a more secure ward. It wouldn't help when the bodies started piling up, however. The morgue could never hold them all.

The hospital could never...

"You won't leave will you?" Mohinder asked, standing from a work station where little work could possibly be done to save them. "Please...don't go out there, Matt," he begged. Yes, begged. He was clearly emotional and tired and neither made a good man any better. He didn't want to live through another Odessa.

And this would be so much worse.

"I know you can help, or try to, but if you run into danger, it might be ready for you and we need you."

A softness came into Matt's eyes at Mohinder's tone and he looked away with a sigh.

"Yeah. I ... I need you too. But that'd just it, okay? I can keep the situation under control, buy some time ... maybe stop it together. Every minute I win out there? That's another minute nobody else has to die."

He fully believed that. He was a cop, he was a good guy, he was a man who wanted to protect his family - all of that backed him up when he looked back up at Mohinder. He was driven by duty and altruism and instinct and would absolutely risk himself for the people he cared about.

But it was more than that. He was also confident, knew he was capable both with a gun, with people and with his power. He was aware of the risks but he felt he could handle them. He wasn't afraid for his own sake, nowhere near as scared as he was losing Molly or Mohinder.

"I have to do something", he added. "I can't just hide and let these things happen."

"You're one person, Matt. Nothing you can do will be anything more than a delay and what will a delay do but end up getting more people involved?" Mohinder wasn't trying to belittle his friend, he wasn't trying to downplay his abilities either. "Even if Peter were here, I wouldn't want you to go out there, not when there's nothing we can do but keep ourselves safe and help the people around us."

Mohinder wished, in this case, that he could be selfish, that he could call up Peter and have him teleport them all somewhere that this wasn't happening. A little island home, perhaps, where they could surf all day and grown coconuts and avacados. Mohinder wants and easier life than he has, he wants to go back to being a screw up on a smaller scale.

"If you need something to do, protect Molly. Keep the military out of this hospital or off of this floor. Be sure we have supplies. Be sure that when our world ends again, she's safe. You need to sleep in order to be any good to anyone."

Do you remember how it went last time, Matt?

Matt smiled then, a snorted, wry smile that looked a little dangerous even if it wasn't directed towards Mohinder personally. Yeah, he remembered. He had plenty of memories and he wasn't likely to forget many of them.

It was only fo that second, though.

"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid." He hadn't meant to run off right that second or even that hour. Knew very well he'd need a few hours of sleep before he did anything, regardless of what it was he was going to do. He seemed to weigh Mohinder's words, request rather, finding it ... reasonable. How about that?

He remembered saying something similar to Mohinder after he'd almost shot him in his own kitchen when he'd unexpectedly shown up. You want to keep her safe? Don't die on her. It was probably that echo that made it right this time, too.

"Alright. I'll be close by. I promise", he said, stressing the last word at the look Mohinder gave him, but at the same time not promising what he'd do or where. "I just don't like this, Mohinder. I have to keep an eye on it."

They both knew when Matt didn't like something, he tried to fix it.

Telling Matt to stay away from the world, to hide, to keep from bringing it justice, would be a massive mistake. No, Mohinder couldn't very well squash down the things he loved about the man. And he wouldn't. Instead, he just nodded and gestured to the back room. "It's not going to be comfortable but it'll stave off a headache at least. I'll wake you before the grid goes off."

Mohinder himself couldn't sleep. He had to carry on as if the world was all right and he'd be able to save the day. Everyone was already in the dark already. This was just one more step and Mohinder was finding it difficult to live with knowing it.

He rubbed his forehead, at a complete loss at what the next step should be.

"I... I want to let them know. I want to give these people a chance to be with their families." Even if it might doom them faster.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

He had to question it, had to bring the uncertainty of it to light. But being with your family was a good reason to do anything, and in the end Matt wasn't going to fight it. Mohinder thought it was a lost cause. Matt had a history of not always trusting Mohinder's judgment, but he believed him here.

It wasn't optimistic. But he supposed the world did have a habit of beating them up every now and then for daring to be.

"How? I mean I could - maybe -" He motioned towards his own head. "I'm not sure how far I'd reach."

It would clear the hospital... It would confuse the military, the doctors... Those well would leave. Those sick-- Well they might leave too. But Mohinder had run the computer simulations with the other scientists. They'd already estimated that New York, any area cut off from the rest of the country now, would experience vast and unmitigatable losses within a week. A week.

This virus, it moved so quickly. Anyone coughing now... Everyone feeling a little under the weather would likely be dead by next Saturday. It was sobering. Mohinder looked as if he might sag under the brunt of it all.

"I'm not sure what's worse," Mohinder said, eyes filling with tears he'd not shed this night. He couldn't cry for everyone, after all. "Being immune and watching the rest die while I help them or sitting here and knowing they're dying without ever meeting them."

Matt hadn't expected to feel the way he did when Mohinder teared up; it was a rushing mix of shared pain and almost desperate affection. They'd been so happy the last few weeks he'd almost made himself forget that he'd ever seen his friend cry. And he immediately wanted to fix that too but wasn't sure how.

This was so damn big. It was bigger than any of them.

"It's not your fault", he said, went up to Mohinder and put an a hand to his cheek, a little hurried but his fingers settled gently near his ear. He looked between the other man's eyes, serious but worried, unhappy about the glossy pain he was seeing. "The Company made the virus. It's on them. You're doing everything you can. Okay?"

His other arm came around Mohinder's side, not quite a hug but an invitation in a way when Matt turned his head away to look at the corridor outside. No real movement. He supposed all that would be later.

"We'll figure this out."

Mohinder's face found the larger man's throat and buried itself there, right where it seemed to belong. Matt might not have embraced him fully but Mohinder finished his work and wrapped himself completely around the other. He was so tired--

There's not another bed, but could we at least fall asleep together? They could be with Molly, beside her. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it would be something. Mohinder had missed the closeness they'd had in Odessa. They'd not yet started a physical relationship at that point but they'd sought each other out nightly and that could be worth as much as much as kisses.

Well. Nearly so.

He didn't wait for Matt to give him an answer, he simply took both of his hands and pulled him away from his own post and down into the room where Molly slept easily. Both doors of the connecting supply closet were shut at either end and while the space was cramped, it was fine to lie down in.

Together.

Perhaps it was not as inappropriate for children as Mohinder had hinted on the phone but it would do. He wanted to guide Matt's head to his chest and stroke his hair until sleep came.

Matt followed, glad for the shifting expression in Mohinder's face but still feeling altogether ... he wasn't sure what word to pick. But he was watching Mohinder close and when there was that pause of just standing, he followed a sudden urge and leant in to kiss him. Molly was sleep. Nobody else could see. It didn't actually matter.

Although he normally had a sweet disposition, this whole thing was bringing out something deeper and different, maybe because he had a million things on his mind and knew that worst case scenario they could all be dead in a few days. That said, it wasn't really a fierce, demanding kiss. It just meant something different.

It was something he needed to do before he allowed himself to lie down, following the small suggestion found in Mohinder's mind, and he soon found his tension easing just from the fingers in his hair.

How long did they have? Three hours?

He'd been a bit unsure about if he'd even manage proper sleep but it was hard to resist the sinking, exhausting feeling of it.

Sometimes during their short respite, Molly had woken and pushed her way between them. Mohinder didn't mind waking up to long blond hair in his mouth, not as much as he'd expected to. His alarm was much more annoying and he stretched, rolling over, to find the source of it and shut it off. Ten minutes until the end of their happy little existance, he realised, and turned back to find Matt gazing at him.

Do we stay here and wait it out? Matt might be his hero if he'd only answer yes. He wanted to just be done with it, if only for the shortest while. They could be together but--

But it was extremely unlikely indeed that it would happen all at once. Panic was likely already happening but it would take a day, perhaps more, for the height of the violence to really get under way.

And they were safe here. Safer here than anywhere else at least. Matt had them. What Mohinder's status as a scientist here couldn't do, Matt could protect them. Even Molly's skill could become invaluable along the way. But for right now, Mohinder wanted to hide.

Does it make me weak?

Don't think like that.

It might not have been the best reassurance but Matt didn't think it had to do with weakness. He realized that he'd never once actually thought of Mohinder as weak - rash and thoughtless, absolutely. But not weak. This had more to do with fear and although Matt usually supressed his own, he did know what it felt like.

He touched Molly's face lightly before he slowly disentangled himself from the little pile they'd made. There was something uncomfortable about one shoulder and he stretched in an effort to get rid of the kink, then yawned into one hand and picked up his gun which he'd put aside before lying down.

There were no real windows here but he waited for Mohinder to stand up too before he went back out into the lab.

Less people directly outside now. It made sense for people to change posts now - in anticipation. Matt was fully expecting it to build slowly. There was nothing of interest visible outside in the streets, still too early for most people to be up. The streetlights were on. It was odd to think that in a moment, they wouldn't be. Until sunrise everything would be dark.

It wasn't like watching the lights go out at dawn. They didn't blink off slowly in a line, romantic and preparing for the day. They turned off at once and most of the overhead lights did as well before the generators kicked on. There was likely a panic starting downstairs. Emergency lights were on, important systems were backed up, but for the most part, the switch off the grid was noticeable.

Televisions didn't work. Radios only played one emergency station message: Keep in your homes.

That wasn't something anyone wanted to hear.

Mohinder sat against the shallow sill, back to the cold glass, and watched Matt. It had started. It would only be a matter of time before shit when to hell and--

The door from the hall to his lab was pushed open by two large men and a woman, all wearing biohazard suits. "Doctor Suresh?"

Mohinder stood up slowly. "Yes..."

"You'll be coming with us to Atlanta."

Matt had turned to regard them with suspicion the moment they entered but at that demand he practically bristled. If he'd been an animal there would have been a low growl in his throat but right now, it settled in his face instead when he took a step forward.

"Why the hell for?"

I can make them go away. Just say the word.

He hated the idea of separation. He did, deeply. By the same token he knew it might be necessary, was practical-minded enough to see when to let something go, but that didn't mean he wouldn't put up a fight first.

Mohinder would go only if he wanted to go or said he had to, not because someone else said so.

"If case you haven't noticed, we have an uncontainable virus--" The woman stopped herself. "Just who are you anyway?" Mohinder was having none of this, however, and before Matt could answer (truthfully, snarkily), he stepped to the middle of the room.

"Are you talking abandonment of the city, doctor?" he asked, eyes red from the little sleep he'd gotten and the emotion before it.

There was an uncomfortable silence to follow. "The CDC is pulling out on governmental orders. You're our leading expert on this. We need you with us."

Mohinder immediately brightened. Abandonment of these people was not what he wanted.

And yet... "I'll need guaranteed passage for my family," he said, feeling as if he might be able to negotiate themselves some helicopter seats only to have the military make their presence known. It was wholly intimidating and meant to be too.

"We're sorry, Doctor Suresh, there's only enough room for you."

Matt had no patience for intimidation techniques. He knew them, had used several, and he was angry enough to completely disregard them. He tilted his head slightly, was lost in the focus for a second, and then the woman spoke up again.

"We'll give you a few minutes, Doctor."

"Great", Matt said sarcastically, and the group retreated out the door, waiting right outside. Too close for comfort but for the moment, distant enough.

Turning around, Matt went immediately closer to Mohinder, a hand to his shoulder.

"Okay, quick. How do we want to do this?" A short beat where he gestured vaguely between them and added, "If you go, Molly has to go with you." At least her. Matt could definitely manage in New York until the worst wore off if he had to, but they were a family now, all of them. That meant they had to make that decision together.

Preferably, they all went or they all stayed. But it would probably be one hell of a lot easier for someone to bring his daughter - because it was on paper now, she was theirs - than someone who had known issues with the Company.

Because oh, Matt was sure it was still them, pulling the strings.

Thinking on his feet had Mohinder at a disadvantage in some situations and this was one of them. Leaving Matt seemed utterly out of the question, but could they possibly leave Molly here? If they had any chance to get her away from this city, shouldn't they take it? Mohinder's mind raced as he pressed a hand to Matt's chest. A touchstone, of sorts, it seemed. Their physical connection always seemed to mirror their mental one.

If anyone could possibly do this, it would be Matt. He could survive, likely better than if he had to worry about Mohinder. But how could they meet up again? What if they blew up the tunnels? Destroyed the bridges?

Molly could find Matt anywhere but getting to him might be impossible.

"Can you have them leave one of their men behind and take you with instead?" The guilt pours over Mohinder before he even gets the words out. He'd have never suggested that half a year ago.

Maybe even two months ago. These things could change men.

Matt paused. "Yeah", he said slowly, looking at Mohinder, thinking about it. "Yeah, probably." But it presented a problem. If they were unwilling to take Molly, he could make them take her, but he wasn't sure if he could make them take them both. Wasn't sure if he could hold that kind of command up for extended periods of time. Wasn't sure if he'd manage to re-establish it when they touched ground in Atlanta.

And as much as he didn't like the military right now, he didn't think he could just sacrifice one of them for his own sake like that.

So he shook his head and sighed, squeezing Mohinder's shoulder a bit when he looked to the side.

"But I'm not sure. It'd be ... a lot. I don't want to risk it."

He hated saying that, but he had to be practical. He could handle New York, he was positive of this fact, but once the riots started Mohinder and Molly had a realistically much smaller change. He'd rather get them out than himself, if he had to choose. And if he moved himself into the equation he could very well endanger them.

Something decisive in him kicking in with that, he moved his hand away to his own pocket, checking his cell phone. No signal, naturally. They'd be completely cut off from each other other than Molly getting a glimpse of what was happening if she looked for him.

Matt wouldn't get any news. He accepted this grimly.

"I'll make them let you take Molly with you", he said, speaking quickly. "I don't think I could get us both on. She's easier to explain than me."

"Matt." Mohinder stared up at the larger man and shook his head. "Not without you." But the protest was ridiculous. Mohinder knew that Matt wasn't strong enough yet. Who knew how many people he would have to keep controlling, if any of them would be like the Haitian, or worse, like Bennet. Getting Molly out safe was the priority.

Should always be the priority.

It didn't mean that Mohinder had to like it though. His protests died when Molly came trudging out of the far back room, shoes already on and hair pulled back in a sloppy bun. "I'm ready," she told her parents. She had only heard part of the conversation but it was enough.

Enough to leave Mohinder's chest aching as he watched Matt scoop Molly up.

He was use to leaving the other two alone, not the other way around. To say that this was distressing was an understatement. Don't be reckless. Don't do anything to jeopardize yourself. Hide all of your supplies. Get in touch with Peter as soon as you can--

Matt was looking at him and Mohinder cleared his throat and glanced downward.

"Please." Just promise him.

Oh, Molly. She threw her arms around Matt's neck when he picked her up and he closed his eyes for a short moment to just hold her, the I love you immediately put into her head, a soft reminder that he hoped she'd never forget, no matter what happened. She nodded mutely against his shoulder and hugged him a little tighter.

When Mohinder thought at him, he looked him in the eyes as he stroked Molly's hair. He did listen. These were things he already knew, but he did listen even if he didn't say anything. It struck him how much of a family they really were and how much they all mattered to each other and when Mohinder looked away and his plea became verbal, Matt went up to him still with Molly in his arms, unfolded one and hugged him.

Molly followed suit. There was something melancholy about it, but it was a group hug they all needed. Just the moment of physical connection.

"I'll be fine", he assured them. "Just take care of each other for me, okay?"

There was something slightly hollow about that. It seemed emphasized when the CDC lady and her military buddies entered shortly after that and Matt let his family go to give them the mental order. He tried to root it deep, leaving no room for arguments or doubts. That'd come later, but never from these three.

There was a short moment of silence before she spoke. "Ready, Doctor? We got to go."

Hopefully, when that moment did come, it would be decided that the matter no longer made a difference. Molly was there already, it's not as if they could send her back. "I suppose so."

How long would they be gone? As Mohinder was ushered out, taking Molly by the hand, he looked over his shoulder at Matt and kept eye contact as he turned down the corridor. There's always too much to say and never the time to say it, he directed at the telepath. Be sure to stay safe so I can say it all the next time we meet.

Mohinder hardly needed to say it. He loved fast and hard and this was no exception. The last look he gave to Matt for the next few months was desperate with love. At least it would give Matt something to go on. Something to go for too.

A moment later and his family was gone.

Matt would be more or less left alone for a little while, though gear and research and samples would be taken from the room by young men and women in protective suits within half an hour. The CDC was pulling out. The sound of helicopters taking off from the roof in succession was proof of that.

After? It was just quiet. So long as Matt didn't dial in to the people dying below him.

He did, eventually. He couldn't ignore them this time when he went down the stairs and besides, sending calming notions to them left him with something to do. He already felt the loss of the other two settling somewhere in his ribs and he fought it with action.

It left him a little light headed, but it was all he could do for now. They were gone. No one were left to care for them except one or two hospital staff who were going to succumb to the virus soon anyway. On the off chance that someone there was immune, they still wouldn't be able to save everyone else.

It was a big hospital. Triple digits worth of people. He walked the halls with all his mental shields up and tried to radiate calm before he left. There was no way he was staying.

Find Peter, Mohinder had thought. Peter. He had no idea where he might be - last he heard, he did live on the island, but whether he'd be there at all ...

He shook his head and went to see if the closest bridge was still guarded. He felt both hidden and exposed in the darkness between the buildings, but he had a gun and his mind, so he was fine.

Military was still there. No surprise there. Matt half expected them to destroy the bridges at some point and leave them to fend for themselves - it wouldn't surprise him, given the way they'd torn up the roads in Texas.

His thoughts turned to Molly and Mohinder again when people started waking up, when voices were raised and the quiet broken. Would remember the way Mohinder had looked at him for a lifetime. He hadn't answered, hadn't been sure what to say, but he'd looked back. Nodded.

He knew that from now, it was a waiting game.

As the sun rose he went back to the car and moved it elsewhere, not wanting it that close to the hospital anymore, and after that? Well. He kept an eye on the main road off the island. People would try to leave and there'd be trouble, but no one should have to die.

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